New Jersey Devils: 5 Left-Handed Defenseman To Target This Offseason
By Nick Villano
Marco Scandella
Full disclosure, we do not like this move. It doesn’t really fix things, however the Devils need help on the left side, and Shero might not be willing to give up draft capital for a second season in a row. Krug is THE piece on the left side, and unless the Devils plan on playing either Muzzin or Barrie out of position, this is the next best option in free agency.
Scandella is on his second team of the season after the Buffalo Sabres traded him to the Montreal Canadiens for a 4th-round pick. It’s not necessarily a move that would “fix” the Devils defense, because it absolutely wouldn’t Scandella would just be looking to make it better than what it is.
Buffalo was looking for a forward, so in a roundabout way they traded Scandella for Michael Frolik.
Scandella would be someone who replaces Greene, and not someone to play with P.K. Subban. He’s 6’3, 212 lbs. That’s some size the defense is missing right now, especially with an undersized Will Butcher on the same side. However, as we’ve seen before, defensemen need more than just size. Scandella is allergic to offense.
The good thing Scandella can bring is he’s going to play with Cale Fleury in Montreal. He’s going to get used to playing on a third pairing with a very young player. Ty Smith is making the Devils next year, and he’s going to need someone who’s used to playing with a mistake-prone young defenseman. Maybe this experience Scandella is getting right now will help in the future.